Papua New Guinea

Tribal

Papua Rainforests

Papua New Guinea 2020

7th August 2020 - 22nd August 2020

Papua New Guinea Tour 2020

A remote and still relatively undiscovered destination, Papua New Guinea is one of the few places left in the world where you can truly go off the beaten track. Whether you’re trekking in remote mountain ranges, searching for the elusive bird of paradise in cloud forests or travelling to off-the-grid villages to get to know some 750 tribes who call PNG their home, you are likely to have the country’s wanders mostly to yourself.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the most diverse countries on Earth, with over 700 languages spoken and many different, exotic cultural groups, each one separated from the other by geographical and linguistic barriers.The nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, second largest island in the world, as well as many other Pacific islands, some of a considerable size such as New Britain and New Ireland, and many much smaller islands and atolls.

The most linguistically diverse country on earth, PNG has more than 850 mutually unintelligible, indigenous languages reflecting at least as many different traditional tribal societies. This astonishing cultural variety has given rise to many different forms of expression, including art, carving, dance, singing, music and flamboyant costumes and hairstyles. The colourful cultural heritage is celebrated annually at numerous large regional festivals and sing-sings, including Goroka and Mt Hagen and lesser-known Tumbuna and Kundu.

Habitats range from dense tropical rainforest to savannah and wetland plains, volcanic mountains to white sand beaches and coral reefs. The forests are home to many rare species of marsupial such as tree kangaroo, insects including the Queen Alexandra birdwing (the world’s largest butterfly) and birds such as the cassowary. However, PNG is best known for Sir Richard Attenborough’s favourites: the brilliantly coloured birds of paradise, with 38 of the 43 known species found there.

Papua New Guinea is truly one of the world’s last travel frontiers. Nature and humanity unite in a heady mix of sights and sounds, and many parts of the country remain blissfully unaffected by the ever-advancing ways of the western world.

This trip is designed by native people that I will be working with to ensure the very best is made of your time there. We will visit local culture and customs but the trip is mainly focused on seeing and photographing the amazing birds of paradise these islands are famous for. The itinerary andplaces we are staying has all been done with this in mind.

Apart from the colourful cultural side, the other main attraction of Papua New Guinea is the impressive birdlife, most notably the extraordinary birds of paradise proclaimed by Sir David Attenborough as his all-time avian favourites. Close to Port Moresby, we will visit the Varirata National Park to see the famous Raggiana Bird of Paradise displaying. In the highlands, we stay at Kumul Lodge where you will have the chance to see another four species of birds of paradise within the lodge grounds: crested satinbird, ribbon-tailed astrapia, Princess Stephanie’s astrapia and brown sicklebill. In other sites visited by the group near the lodge, there will be excellent chances to spot Loria’s satinbird, King of Saxony bird of paradise, superb bird of paradise and the blue bird of paradise.

At an altitude of 2,861 metres, Kumul Lodge is one of Papua New Guinea's best-known eco-tourism lodges. Constructed entirely from local materials, it is owned and managed by local people and employs local guides.

The self-local management approach ensures that the revenues generated by your stay remain in the immediate area to support local people and preserve the surrounding forest as a home for some of the most beautiful and unusual birds in the world. The lodge uses its funds to work to raise environmental awareness in the local population, with the ultimate aim of the area being declared a national park

Itinerary

Day 1, 07/08/2020: Welcome at Jacksons International Airport and transfer to Domestic Terminal for PX990 POM/WBM meet and transfer to wapenamanda restaurant for lunch and rest then road transfer to Wabag guest House , Afternoon Site seeing.

Day 2, 08/08/2020: Early morning breakfast then transfer Enga cultural Show photographing Engas Anuel Cultural show where more than 20 different performancers will dance.

Day 3, 09/08/2020: YASUKOM RESORT Early morning breakfast then transfer to Yasukom for bird photographing until lunch after lunch continue untill late evening.

Day 4, 10/08/2020: YASUKUM RESORT Early breakfast transfer to Birding site. The rest of the day until the evning photographing the birds.

Day 5, 11/08/2020: YASUKOM RESORT Early morning breakfast transfer to birdsite until late evening.

Day 12, 18/08/2020: Early breakfast then drive to waiting boat for river birding with packed lunch & water . All day birding along the river system till night fall & over night at Kwata birding.

Day 13, 19/08/2020: Early morning B/F continue birding around the river till lunch hour ,have lunch & checked out and motored downed to Kiunga while birding continuntill we reachkiunga thento waiting vehicle transfer to hotel for evening rest.

Day 14, 20/08/2020: Early morning breakfast and then birding for morning hours then back to hotel for checked out afternoon flight to Port Moresby meet and transferred to Dixies Bungalows.Afternoon birding PAU till evening fall to the hotel for Dinner.

Day 15, 21/08/2020: Early morning breakfast then to VARIEATA NATIONAL PARK for Reginna BOP till lunch after lunch continue birding till evening.

Day 16, 22/08/2020: Early breakfast transfer to International Airport for Home.

International flight to and from PNG. Travel insurance. Flight/Accommodation/Sightseeing not listed in the itinerary. Visa Fee- Visa is requested to be obtained before your arrival. Please make sure that you have got your valid passport and visa before your entry. Tipping:tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc. You can pay more or less depending on their services. Personal expenses. Optional activities. Excess Baggage Charges.

Recommended Kit

You will need to provide your ownphotographic equipment. Cameras and lens ranging from 100mm right the way through to 500mm will be ideal for this action packed photo tour.A tripod, beanbag are a must asthe amazing wildlife and landscapes of this area will give you many beautiful opportunities. Protection from the elements for both your camera and lens is also a must on this trip.

Climate

The climate in Papua New Guinea is hot and humid throughout the year along the coasts and in the plains it is progressively cooler. The climate is influenced by themonsoon circulation: the northwest monsoon prevails from December to April, and the southeast monsoon from May to October. Usually, each monsoon brings rainfall on the exposed slope, but in many areas, it rains during both the monsoons, so it rains all year round.

Payment

The deposit for this amazing photo tour will be £1000 per person with the remainder to be paid 90 days before departure.

Useful Information

NB: This tour is sold subject to the understanding that all guests accept that

NB: Visas are required for travel. If you wish to arrange your visa before arrival, please contact the PNG High Commission. It is currently possible to obtain a visa on arrival, free of charge.

NB: All itineraries are subject to change without notice to take into account possible airline flight schedule changes which can take place before departure date or during the tour, and other operational factors.

NB: The quoted price for the above itinerary is based on current local costs. These and other tour costs may be subject to unanticipated increases beyond our control at short notice, either before or after you have booked the tour, in which case the price would need to be revised accordingly.

NB: This tour involves some travel in remote areas. This adds to the adventure and increases the opportunity to enjoy a true wildlife and wilderness experience. However, due to terrain, weather, road conditions, and other factors beyond our control, some elements of the tour may have to be altered. Times of some activities may need to changed or even cancelled due to the conditions. If an activity is cancelled it will usually be replaced with an alternative activity that is more appropriate for the conditions. Advance notice will be given for any changes where possible, although at times changes may need to be made whilst the tour is in progress.

NB: It is a condition of booking that full travel insurance including Emergency Medical Repatriation is taken out by each person travelling. Your insurance cover must also include Missed Departure and/or Missed Flight Connection for both outbound and return flight sectors (such cover might be subject to a small additional premium – please confirm with your insurers). We ask that you send us a photo/fax/electronic copy of your policy document together with the 24hr medical assistance telephone number issued by your insurer.

NB: Clients must be aware that hotels, lodges and resorts as well as suppliers of tours and excursions used in this itinerary might not comply with European standards of health and safety. Clients must be vigilant and take extra care for their own safety, as they may well be travelling to remote and primitive locations where high quality standards of safety may not be present.

NB: Before and after booking, clients must familiarise themselves with current UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advisories so as to satisfy themselves as to the suitability of the destination(s) to be visited in this itinerary. All decisions relating to the tour will be based on UK FCO advisories, and not those of any other countries' governments. In the event of any emergency or other problem encountered in the destination, it is advisable if appropriate to contact the local UK Embassy, High Commission or Consulate for assistance. The FCO in London also has dedicated telephone call centres: Crisis Management Dept - 0207 008 5335 (during UK office hours), and Global Response Centre - 0207 008 1500 (out of UK office hours).